Libya Topics

Democracy Now! reports on the Libyan conflict and on the coalition of nations engaged in military operations in Libya.

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Massacre in Libya: Witnesses Say Protesters Have Taken Control of Benghazi Despite Gov't Violence

After a week of deadly unrest in the North African country of Libya, tens of thousands of people celebrated Sunday as they retook the streets of the eastern city of Benghazi. Residents say some soldiers joined the protesters and defeated a force of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s elite guard. Others say the military has left the city. This comes after days of brutal violence. According to Human Rights Watch, more than 300 people have been killed...
Feb 21, 2011 | Story
“Libya is Forever Changed by These Events”: Libyan Poet and Scholar Khaled Mattawa on the Pro-Democracy Movement amid Government Violence

After a week of pro-democracy demonstrations in Libya that left more than 300 people dead, protesters have continued to demand an end to the 42-year regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. One of Gaddafi’s sons, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, addressed the nation over Libyan State TV on Sunday and threatened there would be civil war if the protests did not end. For more, we are joined by the acclaimed Libyan poet and scholar, Khaled Mattawa. “I think the...
Feb 21, 2011 | Story
“Gaddafi Cares More for Himself and His Power than He Cares for Anybody in Libya”: Libyan American Activist Abdulla Darrat on Bloody Crackdown on Protesters

The Libyan government faces international condemnation for a vicious assault on the growing uprising against the four-decade rule of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. On Monday, Libyan troops and pro-government mercenaries attacked a large demonstration in the capital of Tripoli. Armed forces hunted down protesters in the streets, while Libyan warplanes and helicopters fired on them from above. The violence comes amidst more signs that Gaddafi’s...
Feb 22, 2011 | Story
“We’re Witnessing the Violent Lashings of a Dying Beast”: Libyan Novelist Hisham Matar on Gaddafi’s Brutal Crackdown in Libya

Libyan dictator, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, vows not to leave the country as opposition protesters take control of key cities. After a week of demonstrations, thousands of protesters have been killed or injured by pro-Gaddafi police and hired mercenaries, and more than a thousand people are missing. For more on Libya, we are joined from London by Hisham Matar, a renowned Libyan novelist. He is the son of a prominent Libyan dissident, and he is currently...
Feb 23, 2011 | Story
"Uprisings: From the Middle East to the Midwest" By Amy Goodman

The workers of Egypt were instrumental in bringing down the regime there, in a remarkable coalition with Egypt’s youth. In the streets of Madison, under the Capitol dome, another demonstration of solidarity is taking place.
Feb 23, 2011 | Columns & Articles
"Everywhere There is Graffiti Saying, 'Welcome to the New Free Libya'": Democracy Now! Correspondent Anjali Kamat Reports

Anti-government protesters have taken control of large swaths of Libya in the uprising against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. It remains unclear how many people have been killed in Gaddafi’s brutal crackdown, but estimates have topped 1,000. Democracy Now! correspondent Anjali Kamat reports from the Libyan city of Tobruk. [includes rush transcript]
Feb 24, 2011 | Story
Thousands Feared Dead in Gaddafi’s Crackdown on Libyan Uprising

The United Nations is warning thousands of people may have been killed in Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s assault on the growing popular uprising across Libya. The United Nations is also warning Libya’s food supply network is on the brink of collapse. Deadly clashes are ongoing as anti-government forces close in on the capital city of Tripoli. We get a report from Democracy Now!’s Anjali Kamat in Libya. [includes rush transcript]
Feb 25, 2011 | Story
Libyans Organize Citizen Councils to Run Cities Liberated from Pro-Gaddafi Loyalists

In the liberated city of Benghazi, where pro-Gaddafi forces have been ousted, Libyan people are now organizing a self-government structure to manage the city. One group calling itself the Coalition of the February 17 Revolution—which is made up of doctors, lawyers, teachers, professors, workers, students—just established a city council to manage the day-to-day activities of the city. Democracy Now! correspondent Anjali Kamat speaks with two...
Feb 28, 2011 | Story
Libyans in "Liberated" Eastern Cities Balance Self-Government with Supporting Tripoli Resistance: Anjali Kamat Reports

As anti-government rebels close in on the Libyan capital city of Tripoli, we get the latest from Democracy Now! correspondent Anjali Kamat. She has just returned to Egypt after spending five days in eastern Libya, where popular uprisings have liberated the area from pro-Gaddafi forces. “There’s a sense that Gaddafi can do anything to people [in Tripoli], and there’s a real sense of fear,” Kamat says, “but I think people are also...
Feb 28, 2011 | Story
As Death Toll Grows, 100,000 Flee Libyan Violence

Estimates of the death toll in Libya have reached at least 2,000, and more than 100,000 people are believed to have fled the country into neighboring Egypt and Tunisia. We speak to Sarah Leah Whitson of Human Rights Watch, who has just returned from the Libya-Tunisia border. [includes rush transcript]
Feb 28, 2011 | Story